The Detective Princess and Her Foolish Knight
by LeafyDream
Summary: A collection of different one shots about Yu and Naoto, and the various ways they fall in love and live their lives together. Some one shots will be dark, some will be all fluff, some will be told through the eyes of their friends, and some will even be about Alternate Universes. Leave a review suggesting what kind of one shot you want to see next!
1. Lovers' Sacrifice

Genre: Sad/Romantic

Pairings: One sided Rise/Yu. Yu/Naoto.

 **Lovers' Sacrifice**

Contrary to popular belief, Rise was not some airheaded bimbo. She was an intelligent, attentive young woman. True, she didn't get as high a grade as certain people, nor did she read for fun on her off time, but she wasn't stupid. She had excellent management and organizational skills, was a born leader (in regards to concerts and bands, at least), and was excellent at reading people, not to mention she was the Investigation Team's 'Mission Control,' as Chie nicknamed her.

So yeah, Rise was a lot smarter than she looked.

So maybe that's why she was the first to see it.

It was after they had defeated Naoto's Shadow and after they had caught their first glimpse of her Persona. The Detective Prince(ss) had fallen to the ground, exhausted. Yu stepped forward to help her stand, intending on carrying her if he needed to, but Kanji was a step closer and beat him to the punch. He put Shirogane's arm over his shoulder and lifted her by her belt. He helped her walk as the other followed, Senpai following half a step behind.

To the others, it probably looked like nothing. Just Yu Narukami being the ideal hero and caring Team Dad, like always. But Rise saw what the others didn't. A look in his eyes. He was disappointed? Maybe even jealous?

She wrote it off as just her mind playing games with her though, and beckoned her Senpai to hurry up as they left the laboratory.

A few days later, she ran into her Senpai at school. She asked him if he was free afterschool today to hang out with her, maybe grab a bite to eat.

"I'm sorry, Rise-chan. I already have plans. I'm going to go see Shirogane and prepare food for her. I don't believe she lives with anyone, so its important to ensure she's in proper health so she can recover sooner." Yu paused for a moment, before adding. "We need to learn more about the killer and she could have vital information. Perhaps tomorrow?"

Rise gave an understanding smile and nodded, before bidding goodbye to the older boy. Despite her smile, she couldn't help but feel that her Senpai had been acting...off? As if worried she'd get the wrong idea about his visit. That it was about more than just the case.

She told herself it was nothing. After all, Senpai was always kind enough to make food for everyone in the Investigation Team. He was just that kind of guy...

When Naoto finally recovered, the team brought her into the TV to explore and get her used to the area, They had been training in the Secret Laboratory when the team had encountered a particularly strong trio of Shadows. The others were knocked back by a powerful strike as the three mech-like Shadows towered over the only standing members, Shirogane and Narukami. The strongest of the Shadows held up its sword, swinging downwards at the Detective Prince(ss).

"No!"

Yu leapt in the way of the attack, grinding his teeth as the blade sliced into his body. There was no blood, thankfully, but he was barely able to stand as the Shadow retreated. The leader of their team used his sword to help him stand as he looked at Shirogane. "Naoto, now!"

"R-right! Megidola!" A brilliant flash consumed the Shadows, and when it faded, it left nothing of the three attackers.

The others ran over to the two as Naoto helped Senpai stand. She glared at him, despite his cocky grin. "What were you thinking, Senpai?! You could have been killed!"

"I'm okay. Besides, you just finished recovering. I wasn't about to let you get hurt again, Naoto-kun." The ace detective's eyes widened for only a second as Rise hugged Yu's arm.

"Senpai..."

"Besides, Yukiko or Teddie can heal me right back up. See? No problem." He smiled at his concerned friends, but Rise could see it. He looked at Naoto, like...like how she looked at him.

* * *

Rise wasn't proud to admit it, but at first she tried to just pass off Yu's feelings as experimentation and as purely platonic. When the group assembled to study for exams, she suggested the individuals pair off to better study together. "Chie can help Yosuke, Naoto can help Kanji, Teddie can help Yukiko, and Yu can help me!" She declared. The others simply stared back at her, confused.

"Chie? Help me? I mean, she's not exactly my first pick..." Yosuke mumbled, to Chie's annoyance.

"What was that?!"

"Oh, like you do better than me during exams!"

"Why would Teddie help me? I mean, he's Teddie. He's not exactly a genius, no offense Teddie."

"None taken! I'm more of a heart to heart kind of guy anyways," the pretty boy smiled, lifting a hand to wrap around Yukiko, who rolled her eyes as she pulled away.

"Not to mention, he doesn't even go to our school."

"Uh...Well," Rise looked away, trying to think of an excuse.

"Actually, Naoto-kun, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem," Yu inquired.

"Whoa. If Yu need help, I'm afraid to ask what the problem is," Yosuke shuddered.

"I...But...What about Kanji?" Rise blushed as she tried to salvage the remains of her plan.

The blonde boy merely shrugged in response. "I don't really care what I get on the exams, so its cool if Shirogane wants to help Senpai."

"Very well then. How may I be of service to you, Senpai?" Naoto asked, moving over to his side of the table to sit next to him. Rise twitched a bit as she saw the two of them blush at each other's close presence. She had never even SEEN Senpai blush, not when she hugged him, not even when she offered him pictures of her from a swimsuit magazine!

And Senpai needing help? Bull! He was obviously just trying to be with her. As the other members of the group talked to one another, avoiding studying at all cost, Rise overheard Naoto and Yu speaking to one another as they went over his problem.

"I finished that novel you suggested last night." Novel? Figures. The two loved reading. Naoto probably suggested some mystery story to him.

"Already?"

"I couldn't put it down, honestly. The beginning had me hooked by the second page."

"I'm glad. What else did you think of it?"

"While I thought the beginning of it was amazing, I felt the twist at the end was more far-fetched. Having the criminal turn out to be the gardener just seemed ridiculous after his and the detective's interaction earlier."

"What? Senpai, that's ridiculous. The twist is well executed BECAUSE of how unexpected it was. Their earlier interaction made the gardener appear friendly, to gain the trust of the detective and the reader."

Trouble in paradise? Rise kicked herself for being happy at that. _What's wrong with me?_ She thought, scowling.

"Yes, but the interaction went too well. It made the twist ending more of a twist just to have a twist, in my opinion."

"Hm. Perhaps I need to reread the story..."

"We can walk back to my house together and I can give you the book back. You can even stay for dinner, my uncle's staying out late tonight for work, so it will just be you, me, and Nanako."

"S-Senpai! That's...um...very nice of you, but-"

"Please, I insist."

 _Darn it!_ Rise sighed as she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She looked up to see Kanji staring at her with a worried stare. He pointed down at her hand, where a broken pencil laid. "..."

* * *

This trend continued. Naoto Shirogane and Yu Narukami...The Detective Prince and the Transfer Student. The two would often be seen studying together, talking to one another, hanging out afterschool, and even sharing lunch.

Rise wanted to hate them...but how could she when they were so obviously happy together?

Naoto was opening up, even smiling more often. The usually stone faced leader of the Investigation Team laughed and spoke to the Detective Prince for hours it felt. They bonded over their love of mysteries and justice, and their matching intellects. He probably told her all sorts of things about himself and she probably did the same thing to him.

She hated to admit, but they seemed so happy together, and she knew they both deserved that. They deserved to be happy...

One day, Rise noticed Naoto adding oddly. She was distant, but not the cold, introvert kind of distant. She looked like she was deep in thought over something personal. Her cheeks would flush and she'd hide behind her hat every couple of minutes. A slight lean to the side revealed she was failing at even taking her notes correctly. This was something far more personal than the murder mystery...

"Kujikawa? You wished to speak to me?" Naoto stepped onto the school's rooftop where Rise awaited her.

That brought her to here and now. Rise put on a charming smile, one good enough to fool even Naoto. Hours and days spent practicing her acting skills made her an expert on masking her emotions."Hey, Naoto-kun! So...what happened between you and Senpai?" she asked. Might as well just drop the bomb.

"Happened? N-nothing happened!" She was blushing already, turning away from the idol. Rise shook her head, silently wondering what she was doing here...

Naoto was smarter than her. That was obvious. The only person she knew who even came close to her intellect was Yu.

Despite her boyish looks, she was cute, even beautiful if she wanted to be. No wonder she beat Rise, Chie, and Yukiko in the beauty pageant. No wonder so many boys and girls fell for her, including Kanji and Sempai.

Not to mention she had larger breasts than her under those wrappings...

"Why...Why do you think something happened between us? Did Senpai say anything to you?"

If she played her cards right, she could get Naoto away from Yu. Keep him all to herself, maybe Kanji would be able to catch Naoto on the rebound. But that wouldn't be right. It'd be selfish, immature, and just plain mean. As much as she wanted to hate Naoto, she knew the young girl didn't do anything wrong. She fell in love. That wasn't a crime.

"So what happened?" Rise beamed, and that smile was all she needed to cut through Naoto's defenses. She sat back and listened to the detective tell her story, silently nodding or motioning for her to go on every little while. It was a beautiful tale, almost like something out of a storybook. A mysterious villain with a blade in hand, aimed at the heart of the innocent princess, only for her knight in shining armor to come dashing in. He raised his shield between the blade and the princess, demanding the vie villain try to hurt her with him there to protect her.

It was like something out of her fantasies.

Except the princess wasn't her. It was Naoto.

"That's so cute! I knew Senpai was brave, but wow!"

"Its not something to be proud of! What if the knife had been real?! What if he had gotten hurt because of me?!"

"Naoto-kun, you know Yu wouldn't have done that unless he really cared about you."

"I know." Naoto arranged her thoughts as she took off her cap to move her fingers through her blue locks. "There's something I haven't told you, actually. After the Phantom Thief ran off, I scolded Senpai...I just couldn't believe he'd endanger himself like that. I demanded to know why he would do such a thing and...and he told me he did it because he loved me."

"He...he said that?"

Rise ignored the quick pain she felt in her heart. She covered her mouth, pretending it was a squee of joy. "Naoto-kun! T-that's amazing! What did you say?!" _Don't cry. Don't cry. You're happy for her! You're overjoyed, damn it!_

"I didn't really say anything. I'm ashamed to say, I ran away."

"WHAT?!" Rise practically jumped up, looking down at the bluette. Her sadness turned into anger and outrage as she glared at Naoto. "Senpai gave his heart to you and you just left?! Naoto! That's worse than rejecting him! You didn't even gave him an answer, you just left him there calling out your name! Alone, tears hidden in the rain!"

"K-Kujikawa, it wasn't rainning and-!"

"Can it! Don't you have any idea how lucky you are?! Most people go their whole lives without their soulmate, but you? Yours saves your life, nurses you back to help, and then proclaims his love for you, and you just run away with your tail between your legs?!"

"Soulmate?! I-"

"Nuh uh! No way! Come on, you!" Rise grabbed Naoto's collar and lifted her up. She began to drag the girl behind her, who was still trying to understand how Rise could be so strong.

"Rise! Stop! Where are we going?!" Naoto struggled, being pulled down the stairs.

"YOU are going to Senpai and YOU are going to tell him YOU love him! Ah. Don't you dare!" Rise hissed, glaring at Naoto, killing the objection in her throat. "You love him! I've known for weeks! Its so obvious! Probably the only person who doesn't know is Senpai himself, probably because he's too scared to admit how much he loves you!"

"I-"

"So we are marching over to his house, even if I have to drag you there myself, and you are going to tell him you love him, you're going to kiss, you're going to start dating, and when you two get married I better be there as your maid of honor!"

"Rise, please! Can you at least stop pulling?!" Naoto pleaded, nearly tripping over her feet.

Rise's face contorted into a venomous scowl. "If you run-"

"I won't! I swear on the Shirogane name!" A moment of quiet contemplation, before Rise loosened her grip. Naoto took a moment to fix herself, before following after the intimidating idol. Rise had her back to the younger girl as they walked to the exit of the school. "R-Rise? If I may ask, don't you have feelings for Senpai? Why...why do you want us to...um...date?"

Rise came to a halt and Naoto barely avoided walking into her. The beautiful idol giggled and turned to face her friend. "Oh, please. I care about Senpai and think he's super cool, but the crush thing is mostly just to get a _rise_ out of him. He's so stone faced! Just to see that face of his turn pink from something I do would be amazing!" She laughed at her own joke, turning back around and leading Naoto through the school. "You and Senpai are meant for each other. You're both smart, brave, and cool under pressure, but he needs you to be his anchor and logical center. You need him to be your link with society, and foundation. You're perfect for each other."

Rise blinked as her vision blurred. She wiped at her eyes. "I'm just glad you two found each other."

 **End**

That's the first part of this 'unknown number' part story. We started off with something a little sad. Awwww.

I'm not very familiar with Japanese honorifics, sadly. I tried my best to get it somewhat decently, but if you felt like I made an error (in regards to that, or anything, really) please say so. Constructive criticism is always nice.

I'm not sure what's next, but YOU can help me decide. Send me a prompt along with some kind words. Tell me what pairings you want in it, besides Naoto/Yu, and if you want it to be sad, happy, AU, dark, etc! I hope you enjoyed the story.


	2. Conference Call

Genre: Romance/Comedy/Is Meta a genre?

Pairings: Naoto/Yu. Light Chie/Yosuke. Even lighter Teddie/Yukiko.

Summary: The Investigation Team gets together to talk about their next adventure and coffee mugs explode. Also, it gets a bit meta.

 **Conference Call**

"Morning, guys," Kanji greeted as he walked into the small conference room. The other members of the Investigation Team all greeted him as he found his seat. The conference room wasn't very official, nor was it very impressive. The group sat on four different couches, with a large white table in the middle of the white room. An office plant slowly died in the corner as the morning's sun shined from outside.

"Alright, now that we're all here. Shall we begin?" Yu smiled as he stood up. "Coffee, Kanji?"

"Thanks, Senpai." The younger man yawned loudly as he stretched, sitting between Rise and Teddie.

"So, partner, tell us the news. Are we up for another game or what?" Yosuke inquired, watching the silver haired protagonist pouring another cup of coffee.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," the silver haired man stated, handing Kanji his cup. He sat back down and lifted up his suitcase, opening the locks with a flick of his thumbs.

"Oh no! How bad is it? _Beary_ bad?"

A momentary silence filled the room as the others glared at Teddie. He let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "What? I didn't like them at first either, but they've been growing on me! You guys can't tell me you don't get a little _paw_ inspired by my on the spot creativity?" The blond grinned, laughing at his own pun.

"Somebody's a little too dedicated," Rise mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"You have no idea. I've been to his house, he has extra bear suits for practicing scenes at home," Yukiko sighed.

Chie looked at her co-worker in confusion, arching her brow. "Wait. Why were you at his house?"

Yukiko blushed and looked away, trying to think of an excuse. "Uh, well-"

"Ahem." A finger loudly tapped against the white table. Everyone looked at Naoto, knowing better than to anger the actress when her caffeine hadn't kicked in yet. She looked at Yu and smiled pleasantly, and he returned it in kind. "Go ahead, Senpai."

"Thank you, sweetie." Yu kissed his girlfriend's cheek, before taking out several small stacks of paper. "The good news is we have another game open for us. The bad news is, this is our last game. We're all going to have to find new work after this."

A sense of sadness washed over each of the actors and actresses. Despite the long hours and restless nights, each of them had loved their role in Persona. To say goodbye to not only the role, but to each other? It was a terrifying thought.

"Hey...We'll still be friends after this, right?" Chie asked, staring at her lap. She felt a warm hand touch her own. Yosuke smiled at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Of course we will."

"Still...I can't believe this is the end," Rise whimpered.

"Hey. We had a great run!" Yukiko smiled. "Persona 4, Persona 4: Golden, Arena, Arena Ultimax, Q, and two animations? We were unbelievably lucky to make it this far!"

"I...I guess, you're right." Rise gave the other girl a sad smile and nodded in agreement with her.

Kanji let out a loud, angry groan. "Man, this sucks...With my luck, I'll be playing some faceless bad guy in some shooter or something...I'd be lucky to make it into a fighting game as some generic, strong guy."

"W-what about Teddie? He's the mascot character!" The blonde boy held back tears as he suddenly hugged Kanji's arm. "Can I go live in Catherine? Can I live off of cameos...?!"

"Teddie! Get off!"

"Well, there is always fanfiction if you want to keep playing this particular role," Naoto commented. The room again grew silent as everyone heard her suggestion. Yosuke spoke for everyone as he looked at Naoto.

"Yeah...I don't think any of us are that desperate."

"Guys, I know you're sad about our journey coming to an end, I am too." Yu stared at his girlfriend and stroked her shoulder as she returned his sad smile. "But we're all still friends, no matter what happens. That will never change."

With so few words, the group's anxiety melted away. Despite just being an actor, Yu was similar to his role. Diligent, understanding, courageous, with an ability to express himself and be allowed control of a situation. He had never missed a line, never missed a cue. The others looked up to him, both on and off camera.

"Now then, I have basic outlines for the game. I think we should all go over them and I'll write down any critiques we may have for it. If we're all in agreement, I'll tell Atlus and we'll begin shooting it in a couple weeks. Everyone okay with that?"

The group agreed and Yu began to pass out the copies of the script. "So, Senpai, have you taken a look at this script yet?" Naoto inquired as she looked at the cover.

"I haven't. Why?"

"The title says, Persona 4: Dancing All Night."

"...What?"

"Is...is this a dancing game?!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Technically, I think its called a rhythm game," Yukiko corrected.

"Awesome!" Rise squeed, clapping her hands. "This is so cool!"

"Teddie has always wanted to dance!"

"I don't know how to dance!" Yosuke squeaked, his voice cracking under the stress.

"H-hey, when they say dancing...A-are they talking about ballroom dancing or samba or something?" Kanji wondered.

"Why is our last game a DANCING game?" The brown haired teen angrily asked. "I mean, shouldn't it be another dungeon crawler or RPG or something? Why a DANCING game?"

"Rhythm," Yukiko corrected.

"Whatever!"

"Well, I assume its because Atlus thinks they're popular right now. Maybe they want to end our part of the franchise with something light hearted?" Yu suggested.

"A girl kills herself by the second page," Naoto dryly declared. "Her hanged corpse is found by a child. The child is traumatized."

"..."

"..."

"Shit," Yosuke chuckled, covering his mouth.

"Yosuke!" Chie scolded, punching his shoulder. "What's wrong with you? That's serious!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Yosuke apologize, holding back his snickering. "I just...Dancing game, plus theme of suicide. They don't exactly match up! I'm just laughing cause its kind of a whiplash in mood!"

"Then, later on, we encounter a small army of Shadows. We dance to defeat them." Yu rubbed his head, noticing the atmoshpere in the room changing once again. He quickly moved forward to put his friends' worries to ease.

"Okay, so its not the epic finale to our adventures we might have thought it'd be, but I think it has some merit. Its fun, its unique, and we'll all be together for it. What more could we ask for?" He optimistically declared.

"For it to not be a dancing game?"Naoto replied, earning her an exasperated sigh from her boyfriend.

"Rhythm game, and I agree with Yu, actually. It sounds like it'd be fun," Yukiko smiled.

"Yeah! Whoo! Let's dance!" Rise giggled.

"Yeah! Teddie's gonna go wild!" Teddie cheered.

"I don't know, guys...This feels kinda weird. I don't even know how to dance!" Yosuke argued, only to be gently pulled towards Chie.

"There, there Hana-chan. I'll teach you!" She teased, lightly poking his cheek with one hand as the other wrapped around his neck and pulled him close.

Yosuke blushed like a tomato in response, before stammering, "W-wait. YOU know how to dance?"

"Course I do! You'd be surprised how similar martial arts and dancing are! A few changes here and there, and I bet I can wow the crowd with my moves! Don't worry, Yosuke. You can be my back up dancer." The boy continued to blush as he was held close to the shorter girl, but he offered no objections.

"See? This game will be a great finale for our story," Yu smiled.

"Sempai, there's something else I feel that is worth mentioning." Naoto handed the silverette her script and pointed at a particular scene. Yu quickly skimmed through it, before reading it over and over again to himself, his stoic eyes suddenly panicked. "This...What is this!?"

"What's what? They better not be pulling some cliche where one of us dies!" Kanji growled.

"Sensei? What's wrong?"

"Kanji admits his feelings for Naoto?!" Yu screamed.

"Wait, what?!"

"What?!"

"Huh?!"

"Oh...Oh, shit," Kanji gulped.

"Hm," Naoto quietly nodded as she drank her coffee.

Yu's grey eyes glanced at the blonde actor. His gaze sharpened as the paper in his hands began to crumple due to his tightening grip. "Kanji...You...didn't have anything to do with this, I hope."

"No! NO! Senpai, you know I would NEVER do anything like that! I-its probably just the fans! You know how they are, r-right? Shipping Naoto and I together, h-heh! Its totally nothing, I mean I would never do anything like that! I don't even like her like that, I swear!" Kanji quickly defended himself, waving his hands in front of his face as if to wave the tension from the air.

Yu looked like he was trying to shoot fire from his eyes and burn Kanji alive when he stopped. He took a deep breath. "...Yes. Yes, of course." He let out a heavy sigh, and with that breath the tension vanished. He smiled at his friend before drinking from his coffee in quiet thought. "I'm sorry for accusing you of anything, Kanji. That was wrong of me. I hope you can forgive me."

"Y-yeah, n-no problem."

Chie and Yosuke glanced into each other's eyes, before smiling mischievously. Time for a little bit of fun.

"Man, you can't really blame the fans, though, can ya?" Yosuke loudly questioned.

"I know, right? I mean, remember how Kenji practically led the Investigation Team into Naoto's laboratory in the Animation? How he saved her and carried her out of the exploding base? It was so cool!"

"G-guys! What the hell!? Shut up!" Kanji pleaded.

 _Crack._

Rise blinked in confusion, before grinning mischievously as well. "And let's not forget the scene where Kanji used his Persona to shield Naoto from Namatame when he was controlling Yu-senpai's body! How dashing!"

 _Crack._

"Who could forget the ski trip, where Naoto fell on him!?"

"Or the beauty pageant! Kanji was so excited to see Naoto in a swimsuit!"

"And who could forget their team attack! _Beauty and the Beast!_ That's just cute!"

 _Crack._

The cup in Yu's hand exploded. Coffee stained his clothes and chips of the shattered cup bounced off his body. The hot drink burned his hand as his fingers twitched. "That's enough on that subject, don't you all agree?" Yu gently commanded, a disturbingly calm smile on his face. It clashed with his trembling fists and the mess now spilled on him and the table.

"S-sorry." Both Chie and Yosuke left it alone, fearing the tranquil fury of their leader. Kanji let out a sigh of relief as the teasing and goading finally ended.

Naoto simply continued to drink her coffee and analyze the script. "Hm. Interesting," she mumbled to herself.

"You guys should know better than to intentionally push Yu's buttons!" Yukiko scolded. "Honestly! What's wrong with you?"

"Calm down, Yukiko, we're just having fun," Yosuke replied. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"Personally, I'm amazed Naoto-kun is so okay with Sensei!" Everyone looked at Teddie as he smiled and drank his hot coco (the last thing they needed was Teddie on caffeine). "I mean, Sensei has to act out like a dozen romance scenes with a dozen different girls! That must be un-bear-able for her! I mean, seeing him have to be romantic, even kissing other girls! I-MMPH!" Yukiko slammed her hand over Teddie's mouth as she looked at Naoto and Yu. "Hm?! Whaff? Whaff'd I doff?"

 _Crack._

* * *

"So we all agree to return for Persona 4: Dancing All Night?" The group nodded. "And we're all in agreement that Naoto and I should not have any romantic implications with anyone else over the game's story?" The group nodded again.

"And we all agree that Yu and Naoto should see a professional about their jealousy problems?"

"...Agreed," the silverette sighed.

"...Agreed," the blue haired woman sighed, cleaning the fresh coffee stain on her shirt.

"Great!" Yosuke clapped his hands. "I guess this meeting is over then. Hey, Chie? Want to go grab a bite to eat?"

"Only if you're paying," she smiled, linking arms with the taller boy.

"Heh. Okay, just this once," he joked.

As everyone left, Naoto and Yu were left on their own. They looked at one another and sighed in unison. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did. I know its stupid to get so angry at those scenes with you and Kanji."

"You're only as guilty as I am. I understand your actions during the games are based around the players' input. It would be unfair to blame you for any of that." Naoto tipped her head, hiding her blushing face. "Though, I do get jealous when I see you with anyone else, but me."

Yu placed his finger the girl's chin and gently lifted it up. Two pairs of steely, grey eyes stared into each other. "Naoto...The games may end, the animations may stop, and our journey as far as the world knows could come to a finale. But my feelings for you? They will never end. I love you, Naoto Shirogane. I want to be with you, forever."

"Senpai...I-I love you too."

"Good. Because if you really did love Kanji, this scene would be absolutely heartwrenching." The two laughed and shared a kiss as they gently fell back onto the couch.

 **END**

Where do the characters begin and the actors end...? I dunno. (Shrugs). A funny idea that popped in my head when I first heard about Dancing All Night. Part of me considered making this a full blown story, where the 'actors' react to stuff that's going on in the games and animes. But that's for another day, I think.

I hope you enjoyed the story. Have a nice day.


	3. Paradise

**Paradise**

"Senpai, I am so sorry," Naoto sighed. "The case is going on longer than expected. and they require my service for a while longer. They seem desperate and I-"

"Naoto. It's okay. I understand."

"I cannot express how sorry I am for this, Senpai. I-"

"Naoto. It's okay. I promise."

"... Alright. I will talk to you to you tomorrow, Senpai. I..." A flush formed on Naoto's cheeks as she stammered. She could hear her boyfriend laugh on the other end of the call.

"I love you too. Talk to you tomorrow, Paradise."

The call ended, and Naoto was left confused as she went over what she had heard. "Paradise?"

Back in Inaba, Yu let out a deep sigh as he looked at the meal set out in front of him. The cake needed to be put away, the candles needed to be put out, and he'd have to return the mystery movies he'd rented back to the store. He took in a breath and got to work.

* * *

 **WILL BE BACK HOME SOON. ETA: TOMORROW, 9 PM.**

Naoto pushed her phone back into her pocket and looked up at the police officers. The case had been solved and she was thanked several times over by the department. Unfortunately this was a double edged sword. The officers had insisted Naoto accompany them to a celebration at a nearby inn, with her as the guest of honor. It was an appreciated gesture, but it meant it would take even longer to return to her boyfriend.

"So, Shirogane, you got a special someone back home?" One of the officers asked, grinning.

"Oh, um... Y-yes, I do. His name is Yu Narukami." There was a faint blush on her face, just from addressing to her relationship with her dear Senpai. Not out of shame, obviously, but out of fear that she would go on and on about her best friend and lover.

"Awww, that's cute," one man chuckled. "How long you two been dating?"

"Our fifth anniversary was just a month ago."

The men and women cooed at the statement. Naoto was sure several of them were drunk, but shrugged it off. "That's so cute that you two have stuck together for so long," a young woman giggled.

"Yeah, can't be easy for the poor guy," one of the younger cops chuckled, only to be elbowed. "Ow! What?" The young man frowned at his friend, before noticing the stare Naoto was giving him. "Oh. Uh... I was just saying, I mean, you ain't home a lot, I assume?" The bluette's silence was enough of an answer. "You leave a guy alone long enough, he's bound to get a little frisky, know what I mean?"

"Frisky? Are you implying Senpai would cheat on me?" Naoto was so taken back by the accusation she didn't even realize she had referred to Yu as her Senpai.

"No! I mean, no? I mean, guy's are guys. We like-OOF!" The young man was elbowed again, but the damage was done.

 _Senpai would not do that. He wouldn't. He would remain faithful to me, I know he would._ But a little voice in Naoto's head called doubt pulled that into question. _But I'm hardly there for him of late. I've been so busy, so distant from him. I'm sure he could find someone who would at least come home every night, instead of leaving for days, even weeks._

She looked down, staring at herself. While she was more willing to dress in a way more flattering to her female body, she still had a rather 'tomboyish' style. She preferred wearing pants more than a skirt in public, not to mention her aversion to more revealing outfits. She dressed practically, with function above fashion. Simple, boring, beige outfits, or if she was feeling truly 'adventurous,' she would wear something blue.

 _Compared to Rise or Ebihara, I must appear so dull. Even Chie-senpai has more of a flair than me..._

"I should go," Naoto muttered, standing up from her seat. Without another word, she quickly walked towards the exit, bidding a hasty goodbye to the officers. As she ran off, she considered texting Senpai, just to tell him she loved him. Her thumb hovered over the the number pad before slipping the phone back into her pocket.

* * *

Naoto swore under breath as she was informed the bus driver had stopped in the middle of the woods. The night sky was cloudy; neither the stars nor the moon could be seen.

Judging from the additional roughness the drive had suddenly taken, it would appear the man had a flat tire. She looked out the window to see the harsh fall of the rain and the crash of thunder. The sound didn't scare her, rather, it made her long for home and the arms of a certain silverette.

The bluette grabbed her hat and quickly followed the driver out of the bus. "Do you require assistance?" The rain fell on her like a wave from the beach as soon as she stepped out. She held up her arm to block some stray drops as the elderly driver looked up at her. He was a wrinkled and balding individual, probably getting ready to retire in the coming months. He held up an umbrella as he struggled to change the tire.

"T-thank you, Miss. I'm afraid these old bones aren't as strong as they used to be."

"It is quite alright, I am happy to help." Naoto quickly put her all in replacing the tire. She was by no means a mechanic, but basic skills and the older driver's advice made her good enough. It wasn't long before she was tightening the bolts with a large tire iron for the elder.

"Make sure you get her nice and tight."

"R-right!" She groaned. She shifted her weight slightly, moving to better tighten the screw. Unfortunately the heavy rain had made the once solid ground into a muddy and slippery death trap. "Whoa!" Naoto toppled backwards, falling into the mud and splattering it all over herself as she laid on the ground.

"Oh. I... I think that's tight enough. S-sorry, Miss."

"It's... It is quite alright," the detective muttered. Inside, she was fuming, and it only worsened as she realized her phone had fallen out of her pocket to be buried in the rain and mud. She picked up the device, but it didn't take a genius to realize it was of little use for anything more than a paperweight now. "Damn it..."

* * *

 _11:15 PM._

Yu looked away from the clock and texted Naoto again. It was the fifth message today, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of worry for his girlfriend. She usually at least texted him if something was wrong. He walled off the more depressing answers to his question and tried to focus on the dinner he had made for them. With a sigh, he began to pack it up and put it in the fridge for another day.

* * *

 _1 AM._

Naoto swore again and again as she ran. She damned the traffic on the road and she damned her broken cell phone and she damned the apologetic old driver and she damned that police officer for poisoning her mind with doubt. She had sat and stewed in the bus for hours, stuck in cold, sticky clothing that made her skin crawl. She had gotten most of the mud off of her, but there were still plenty of stains on her favorite blue blazer and matching pants.

Not to mention she couldn't stop thinking, fearing the possibility of Senpai being with someone else. After all, there were thousands, if not millions of other girls in the world who could fulfill the simple task of arriving on a specified time. Naoto was not one of them. She practically stabbed her key into the lock of their home's door. The lights were off as she walked in, dragging dried up mud into their humble home.

She promised herself she would clean that up later as she threw her blazer into a basket beside their washing machine. She held her hat in trembling hands as she looked into their bedroom. There was the silver haired man, sleeping on their bed. He was alone, she noted, before scolding herself for even thinking there was a possibility he wouldn't be. She gently pushed the door open to enter.

Judging by his outfit, he hadn't fallen asleep by choice. In fact, he looked ready to leave the house. His cell phone rested in his limp hand. _How many times must he have tried to call or text me...?_ With a heavy heart and a quiet sigh, she picked up the phone and looked through his recent messages to her. _He had called me several times and sent me ten messages?_ Just reading the some of the messages he had sent her made the young woman angry and loathing towards herself.

 **Excited to see you soon! Love you! :3 :3 :3**

 **What would you like for dinner when you get back? :o**

 **Be careful. I heard it's raining pretty hard out there. :/**

 **You okay?**

 **It's getting late.**

 **I'm sorry if I did something wrong to upset you. Please text or call me back so we can talk about it.**

 **I love you.**

 **Please be okay...**

"Senpai... I'm so... I'm so sorry," she whispered to his sleeping form . Tears had begun to form in the corners of Naoto's eyes, and before she knew it, the floodgates were open. "You deserve so much better than me. You deserve someone beautiful, someone who is there when they say they will be. Someone isn't gone for hours, even days. Someone who is..." She rubbed her arm against her face as her vision blurred. She pulled on her sapphire locks and dug her nails into her scalp. She cursed herself, even cursing her family name. How many nights must her lover spend alone because of her? How many hours go by with him fearing that the last time he saw her might just be...

"Shhh... Hey. It's okay."

"W-what?" She rubbed at her eyes again, scratching away at the tiny droplets. Yu was laying on their bed, looking up at her with a soft smile. "Senpai, I-I'm sorry. I must have woken you and-"

"Shhh. You didn't. My Naoto-senses were tingling."

"Your...?"

"Naoto-senses. They tingle whenever I feel something is bothering you," the man yawned. Without any warning, his arm latched around Naoto's shoulder and pulled her down, into his embrace. She fell onto the bed, laying on top of him as he laughed. "Hey, Paradise."

"S-Senpai! Please! I'm a mess, I-"

"You're gorgeous. Now shhh. Listen to me." He had his arms around her, trapping her against his chest. She blushed, her face warm from it and her tears.

Despite her recent outburst, laying there, feeling her boyfriend's embrace, feeling his soft hand gently caress her now sore locks... Her tears had long stopped as he kept her close to him. "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. There's no one else in the world I love more than you. You're my Paradise, Naoto Shirogane. You're smart, kind, brave, and, despite your personal belief, beautiful as all hell."

"Senpai..." The rush of compliments brought a blush to her cheeks once more. She couldn't help it, not when she heard his gentle tone and loving voice. She wouldn't admit it, but the petting was a feeling she adored and missed as well...

"If I wanted someone who I knew would be here every hour of every day, I would have dated someone else. But I don't want that. I want you. I want a detective who has to go off saving the day in some far off town, or who has to stay up late working on some puzzle or mystery. I want someone dedicated to their work, even when they want to give up and stop trying. I love you, Naoto Shirogane. I love you, I love you, I love you." The young man yawned again as Naoto's tears gently touched his shirt.

He heard her sobs and whimpers and that just made his embrace stronger. He only pulled away to move her closer to his lips. He kissed her tears away and left butterfly kisses on her rosy cheeks. "I don't want anyone else, but you. I love and adore you. Everything you think that hurts me, hurts us? It is worth it, just so I can see you smile or hear you laugh. I love you, my little Paradise, and I will tell you that forever and again. I'm here for you, and I always will be..."

"Senpai..."

"Heh. We should go make dinner together."

"A-a little bit longer, please..."

"Hm... Okay," the silverette mumbled.

"Can you... Would you mind continuing to pet me?"

"Hmmm... I'd love to."

They laid their in silence, the only sound being their breathing and the gentle caresses Yu gave Naoto's head and back. The young woman shifted slightly, now laying beside him, her head on his chest, and her own arms now wrapped around her Senpai. The two enjoyed each other's company as she thought. "Senpai?"

"Hm?"

"You called me Paradise. Why?"

"Because being with you, wherever it is, is Paradise."

 **END**

Do you want to know why I love Naoto Shirogane and the main character together so much? It is simple. I play the main character, thus I see him as myself in a way. A cooler, stronger, smarter version of myself, but I digress. Naoto? To be honest, I picked Naoto out of all the other character's because she reminds me of my own love of my life. My darling, my Heaven, the woman I've been with for years.

No, she isn't a perfect copy of Naoto. She's better.

But the similarities are there. They're both smart (intellect is a big turn on for me. Hubba hubba, girl. You DO that crossword puzzle. AWWWW YEAH), they both have a desire to help others and do good, they both love robots, and scifi, and superhero stuff (I loved it when Naoto was revealed to be a Feathermen fan), and they both have lives that can lead to them being too busy for a real social life outside of work.

My Heaven wants to get into... sciencey stuff. Honestly, it goes over my head. Something about forensic science or something. I don't know. What I do know? She works herself to the bone doing thesis papers and working on getting two diplomas, plus doing her job at her university well. She's amazing and I love her, but she hates how busy her life makes her sometimes.

This story is dedicated to her. My Heaven.

I love you, and I always will. I'll never leave you. Do I miss you when you leave? Yeah, I do. But the times we share together are worth it.

And I'm pretty sure Yu and Naoto feel the same way.

But yeah. Love you, Heaven.


End file.
